Almost lost my Absolute...

[riffjim4069]

Absolutely HD is akin to my Sprint SERO plan. While I love paying $30 a month for my 500-minutes of anywhere time, free weekend and 7pm-7am calling, unlimited data and unlimited texting...the coverage can be a little sparse (just like the bitrate of DishHD-Lite) in some areas and Sprint is always doing their best to knock me off of this plan (just like the aforementioned examples). That's why I am still using my 3-year old HTC Mogul phones and not rocking the boat. I love that $30 SERO plan more than I do the new smartphones.

 

[whatchel1]

Just beat it

(just like the bitrate of DishHD-Lite)

You still beating on that dead horse? He's been dead a long time. A lot of us aren't in an area that has FIOS available. If it were then it might be a diff story for me.

 

[whatchel1]

Wasn't a la carte

Yeah, me too.

Dish doesn't consider Absolute to be a qualifying package, although I don't understand why since they created and offered the package. And by not allowing add-ons, they are foregoing additional revenue.

It doesn't make any sense to me. Why introduce a package and then state it is not a "qualifying package"? And they don't want additional revenue? I guess they don't want us to get too comfortable with the package and hope we will switch packages.

What I wanted they told me wasn't available for a la carte. I don't even know if I had request something that is list as a la carte if I could've gotten it or not.

 

[SpaethCo]

Dish doesn't consider Absolute to be a qualifying package, although I don't understand why since they created and offered the package. And by not allowing add-ons, they are foregoing additional revenue.

It doesn't make any sense to me. Why introduce a package and then state it is not a "qualifying package"? And they don't want additional revenue?

Dish has a number of packages that don't meet minimum qualifications for certain add-ons. For example, you can't add the multi-sport package to the Family Pack (no longer available) or AT120. You need AT120+ which is $5 more and only has the addition of your local regional sports net.

To preempt your next question about why Dish doesn't just create a multi-sport addon for Absolute that is $12 instead of $7 -- the Absolute package is missing other key programming. The 2 major players in the regional sports networks are FOX and Comcast. FOX most likely has contractual restrictions that prevent selling access to its regional sports networks unless the subscriber also has access to FOX News, and Comcast likely has similar restrictions that require the inclusion of their channels like E! and G4.

The ball isn't entirely in Dish's court on this stuff -- the media companies that produce the content call most of the shots.

 

[TalonDancer]

....The ball isn't entirely in Dish's court on this stuff -- the media companies that produce the content call most of the shots.

....And the media companies know that a bunch of their channels are so weak that they need to be bundled with their stronger (read more popular) offerings to get enough people as subs. The result -- even Dish's lowest package has over a hundred channels with very little worth watching.

IMO dishHD Absolute is as close to a Quality over Quantity package that we are likely to see for a long time

Talon Dancer

 

[digiblur]

Absolutely HD is akin to my Sprint SERO plan. While I love paying $30 a month for my 500-minutes of anywhere time, free weekend and 7pm-7am calling, unlimited data and unlimited texting...the coverage can be a little sparse (just like the bitrate of DishHD-Lite) in some areas and Sprint is always doing their best to knock me off of this plan (just like the aforementioned examples). That's why I am still using my 3-year old HTC Mogul phones and not rocking the boat. I love that $30 SERO plan more than I do the new smartphones.

Amen to that one! Never letting go of SERO or Absolute. One of the many reasons why I still have the Touch Pro 2, although I have heard tons of rumors that for $10 more starting 10/1/2010 you'll be able to activate an Android phone on the SERO plan.

 

[grb]

....And the media companies know that a bunch of their channels are so weak that they need to be bundled with their stronger (read more popular) offerings to get enough people as subs. The result -- even Dish's lowest package has over a hundred channels with very little worth watching.

IMO dishHD Absolute is as close to a Quality over Quantity package that we are likely to see for a long time

Talon Dancer

I agree with you 100% on DishHD Absolute which is the reason I am still with Dish.


On the issue of add-ons, the bottom line is, at least in my case, they are missing an opportunity for additional revenue, because I am not going to switch packages to get the add-on channels I want.

So what could be a win-win situation is instead a lose-lose situation...

 

[lsilvest]

I agree with you 100% on DishHD Absolute which is the reason I am still with Dish.


On the issue of add-ons, the bottom line is, at least in my case, they are missing an opportunity for additional revenue, because I am not going to switch packages to get the add-on channels I want.

So what could be a win-win situation is instead a lose-lose situation...

I agree completely.

What I'm curious about is when Dish put in the package, did they get a commitment from the program providers for a set price or are they eating everything?

 

[Redwoodman]

Almost lost my DishHD Absolute

I just called Customer Service to drop Cinemax now that the deal is over. When the CSR tried to remove Cinemax, he said the software attempted to remove my Absolute package at the same time. Then it locked my account. He had to get the computer dept. to straighten it out.

Perhaps this is what happened to Ilya.

Appears they got it right. Cinemax is gone and I still have my Absolute package.

G

 

[TalonDancer]

I just called Customer Service to drop Cinemax now that the deal is over. .....

Are you sure your Cinemax deal was over? Because, after several letters from dish at the end of last year, we are still getting Cinemax for a penny. I don't know when it will really expire. But I'm not calling Dish, and risking HD absolute, until after I get the first month's Cinemax charges on our bill.

Talon Dancer

 

[whatchel1]

Monday

Are you sure your Cinemax deal was over? Because, after several letters from dish at the end of last year, we are still getting Cinemax for a penny. I don't know when it will really expire. But I'm not calling Dish, and risking HD absolute, until after I get the first month's Cinemax charges on our bill.

Talon Dancer

I have to chat with them Mon to remove it. I chatted the other day and they removed the cost for my next bill. I still have to contact them to have it removed or I will get charge full price. But I had them note my account not to kill my Absolute again.

 

[Redwoodman]

Are you sure your Cinemax deal was over? Because, after several letters from dish at the end of last year, we are still getting Cinemax for a penny. I don't know when it will really expire. But I'm not calling Dish, and risking HD absolute, until after I get the first month's Cinemax charges on our bill.

Talon Dancer

Yes. I had a $13 charge for Cinemax on my last bill.

G

 

[grb]

I called a CSR prior to my expiration date to find out when I had to cancel to avoid any charges for Cinemax. They gave me a date and I cancelled on that date -- about 2 months ago. This had no effect on my HD Absolute subscription and it's still going strong...

 

[Coop1979]

I went through a huge battle with DISH yesterday over my HD Absolute package. I used the online chat to have Showtime and Cinemax removed (leaving HBO on), and specifically said I didn't want to do it if it would effect my grandfathered Absolute. CSR said it won't change anything, made the change. Next thing I know I get an email from DISH saying my programming has been changed to DISH America, causing me to lose however many channels.

I did another online chat, but that CSR wasn't able to do anything. He ended up giving me the Executive team's phone number. I had heard good results from DMing their Twitter account, so I tried that first. Their initial responses back to me were less than satisfactory ("The package is no longer available and when a service change is made to the account the programming change must be updated"), so I emailed the CEO email.

After quite a bit of back and forth with their Twitter people, I received this DM shortly after I received an automated system email telling me my package had been changed back to HD Absolute:

They added the package back as a 1 time exception. Any changes on the account going forward the package is forfeited as is discontinued *M

Not sure if my email to the CEO address or my tweets were what got it fixed, but at least it's fixed. Now I guess I just can't add Showtime back when Dexter returns. Pretty silly that a premium package change makes you lose HD Absolute.

 

[whatchel1]

Pain in A

I went through a huge battle with DISH yesterday over my HD Absolute package. I used the online chat to have Showtime and Cinemax removed (leaving HBO on), and specifically said I didn't want to do it if it would effect my grandfathered Absolute. CSR said it won't change anything, made the change. Next thing I know I get an email from DISH saying my programming has been changed to DISH America, causing me to lose however many channels.

I did another online chat, but that CSR wasn't able to do anything. He ended up giving me the Executive team's phone number. I had heard good results from DMing their Twitter account, so I tried that first. Their initial responses back to me were less than satisfactory ("The package is no longer available and when a service change is made to the account the programming change must be updated"), so I emailed the CEO email.

After quite a bit of back and forth with their Twitter people, I received this DM shortly after I received an automated system email telling me my package had been changed back to HD Absolute:



Not sure if my email to the CEO address or my tweets were what got it fixed, but at least it's fixed. Now I guess I just can't add Showtime back when Dexter returns. Pretty silly that a premium package change makes you lose HD Absolute.

It's a pain in the A but to keep from loosing Absolute it has to be put in your notes to not change the program package. Been there done that. It took the exec team to put the notes into the account. Twitter is the WRONG place to go to work w/ them. Those that post there are mostly not upper mgt in exec team. I believe that it has to do w/ NDA clause in contract. Most likely the CSR that posted it was just being told to do it. I would go back to CEO addy until you have your account noted correctly. Most of the CSR's have no idea how to deal w/ an Absolute acct.

 

[cs550ds1]

I was at the other site. I saw a post from someone who said they got a call from Dish. They told him that he will need to switch to another package. They said they are going to be killing Absolute soon because of contracts with programmers. I have no idea if that is true or not. Has anyone else received a call from dish about this? I would really hate to lose Absolute.

 

[whatchel1]

bye bye

I was at the other site. I saw a post from someone who said they got a call from Dish. They told him that he will need to switch to another package. They said they are going to be killing Absolute soon because of contracts with programmers. I have no idea if that is true or not. Has anyone else received a call from dish about this? I would really hate to lose Absolute.

If they kill my absolute that is the 1 thing that will make me consider going elsewhere when my contract is up in Feb. Not sure what package I could get that is anywhere close to it. Not sure I trust what is said about E* on other site anyway. They are not real E* friendly there.

 

[grb]

Does adding or upgrading a receiver constitute "any changes on the account going forward" or does this refer only to programming changes?

I have been contemplating getting an HD receiver to replace the (second) SD receiver I currently have, but I am starting to feel paranoid about making this change. Looks like Dish is using any excuse to take Absolute away. If that's what they want, why don't they just kill it and we can all move on. I don't want it to disappear in the middle of my Center Ice subscription, so I would rather see it happen now...

 

[JimP]

I was at the other site. I saw a post from someone who said they got a call from Dish. They told him that he will need to switch to another package. They said they are going to be killing Absolute soon because of contracts with programmers. I have no idea if that is true or not. Has anyone else received a call from dish about this? I would really hate to lose Absolute.

Bingo....I just got a similar call and was checking this thread to see if anyone else had gotten a call.

Is this legitimate? Can they do that?

 

[lsilvest]

Bingo....I just got a similar call and was checking this thread to see if anyone else had gotten a call.

Is this legitimate? Can they do that?

I got the call about 1/2 hour ago - started another thread on this forum.